What I Wore | Tartan Revival

No, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you; this is actually an outfit post! Yes, really! I don't know what happened either.

It's been far too long since I last blogged an outfit here on the blog. Aside from a couple of mirror shots, the last one I shared was back in March last year, which is crazy.

I used to share my outfits regularly until my health began to deteriorate a couple of years ago, but as the pain grew worse and became harder and harder to bear, the posts became less and less frequent until they fizzled out altogether.

For the record, I really hate using my health as an excuse, but the honest truth is it affects almost every part of my daily life, no matter how hard I try to fight against it or keep on powering through. The pain has become so intense that I've lost the strength to do normal stuff like shower, get dressed, put on make up, do my hair, and get outside to pose for a hundred plus photos to get one half-decent shot to blog, all in one go. I don't often have the strength or the pain tolerance for any of it, so if I've managed to shower, dry and brush my hair on the same day, it's been a good day.

I've basically spent most of the last couple of years living in my pyjamas, trying to stay as comfortable as possible, only really dressing in proper clothes when I've ventured out of the house, which hasn't been often. Combine that with the fact I've not had a lot of money to spend on clothes, I've just not had many outfits worth blogging about, so you really haven't missed out on much.

It does make me sad that my style has taken a back seat here because I always enjoyed sharing my outfits with you guys, and it was what I created Polka Spots and Freckle Dots for in the first place. Don't get me wrong; I love blogging about all of the other topics I do, but I miss talking about the outfits I wear. I want to get back to it. and I'm going to do my best to make it happen.

My aim for 2016 is to get out of my PJs more and in to proper clothes, make it outside regularly to soak up some vitamin D, and to share more outfits like I did in the olden days, and as you can see, I've made some progress already by combining all three!

I've actually taken outfit photos four times during the last couple of weeks, although I'm not sure if all four are blog-able yet. This one just about passes the test. It was grey, dreary, drizzly, and a little windy when I shot these photos, and the garden was a mess, so they're far from perfect. I also look a bit spaced-out because I was still feeling a little flu-ish when I took the photos, but the main thing is it's an outfit to share, which is one more than yesterday.

So, in these photos I'm wearing the tartan Audrey swing dress from Lindy Bop, which I bought over a year ago, but had never worn before. I'm not even sure why that is- looking at these photos, I really like the way it looks on me- and I don't often say that about what I wear! I felt great in it, too.

It's a beautiful dress with the most gorgeous tartan fabric, which is made up of yellow and white stripes and little green squares on a background of burgundy. The fabric is medium-weight cotton, and a little lighter than some of the other Audrey dresses I own- which is a good thing because I find the heavier ones too warm to wear unless it's freezing cold outside. (Though I am on fire pretty much 24/7). The tartan dress is still thick enough to keep you warm in the Winter, but I find it much more comfortable to wear and move around in. The skirt is lined, the fabric has a little stretch, and I'd say it's pretty true to size.



It's a little big on top on me, but that's a common problem since I'm only a c-cup, and it's nothing a cardigan or a jacket can't easily disguise. I'm not comfortable baring my upper arms in public anyway, so wearing one over it isn't a problem. I can deal with a little extra room around the girls. I love Lindy Bop's Audrey dresses too much to let that stop me! It's my favourite out of all of the dresses they make. I currently own five in different patterns and colours, but I'd own hundreds if I had more money to spend on clothes! (One day!) I love 'em! I just can't resist a good boat-neckline swing dress. Especially when they're fantastic quality and so affordable like Lindy Bop's are!

I decided not to go down the rockabilly route when I put this outfit together, and instead dressed it down with black pieces for a casual, every-day look. It's a simple outfit and only took me a minute to throw together, but I like the way it turned out, and I felt really confident in it.

What I Wore

Dress- Lindy Bop // Cardigan- New Look // Tights- Evans // Shoes- Fashion World* // Belt- Dorothy Perkins // Necklace- Maggie Angus // Black beaded bracelets- Dorothy Perkins // Silver and black bracelets- gifts from the bestie

I'll hopefully be back with another outfit post really soon!

How would you have styled this dress?

Outfit | Cobalt Blue and Red Polka Dots

I'd like to introduce my new favourite dress; Matilda, the red polka dot swing-shirt-dress. She's the latest addition to my ever-growing collection of polka dot dresses, and don't tell the others, but she's quickly becoming one of my favourites.

She's one of those dresses that I fell in love with the moment I first saw her, and one I couldn't stop thinking about until I was able to snap her up. I don't know what it is, but there's just something about polka dot shirt dresses that I go crazy for, and this one tops them all. Matilda is the créme de la créme of polka dot shirt dresses, and since she's a Lindy Bop frock, I'm not surprised; their dresses are always so beautiful and high quality.

What sets Matilda apart from all the rest is that she is a swing shirt-dress, so she has an amazing full, flared skirt that gives a gorgeous silhouette, and also has plenty of room for a petticoat underneath, to make it even fuller. Unlike most shirt dresses, she is only buttoned to the waist, which I personally love because there's no worry of popping or losing a button and accidentally flashing your underwear to the world. She's made from good-quality cotton, but the fabric is still light enough to wear during the Summer. It's a sleeveless frock, too, so it's ideal for those hot sunny days. You can be sure that I'll be rocking this dress with pops of yellow when the weather gets warmer!

As it's still a bit early for wearing bright yellow, I've been wearing Matilda with bold cobalt blue, and a little bit of black. The colours of the dress and the blue pieces haven't been captured well in my photos, though. It was a cold and dull, grey day when I shot these photos, and the light kept changing from grey to dull yellow. I took over a hundred photos, but I'm not happy with how any of them came out. To be honest, I'm not pleased with the ones I'm sharing, but I decided to share them anyway, because I loved wearing this outfit and wanted to show you this dress before it sold out. So... just imagine that the dress is a really vibrant tomato red, and the blue shrug, belt, bracelet, and satchel are very bold shades of cobalt blue, because they are in real life.

I had so much fun wearing this outfit, which is just as well, as I had a nightmare with the sizing of the dress. I actually had to order Matilda three times, sizing up once more each time in determination to get the dress to fit! I  loved the dress too much to give up on it. I found my usual Lindy Bop size and the next size up too tight on the waist. They fitted nicely over the bust, but I still had problems with gaping buttons, as I always do with buttoned shirts. While I'm not very busty, I am naturally broad shouldered and chested, so I never get along with shirts. I almost always have to size up a few times to avoid gaping, so it's rare that I ever get to wear a properly fitted shirt. I'm wearing a dress three sizes larger than I generally wear here. It doesn't gape (hurray!), but it's not actually all that loose around the bust or waist. It isn't perfectly fitting, though; sizing up has meant the top button starts over the bust, and the waist is a little further down, but it's nothing that cinching in the fabric belt, and adding a stitch or two can't sort. Just bare that all in mind if you're broad shouldered or chested, and want to buy one. She really is worth persevering for, though!

She's a gem of a dress, comes in sizes 8-26 UK, and a bargain at just £29.99! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she'll be made in other colours; if she is, then I'd happily buy them all! I bloody love this dress!

Outfit Details

Dress- Lindy Bop // Shrug- M&Co (similar) // Satchel- ASOS // Brooch- Cath Kidston // 

Bracelet- Cath Kidston // Shoes- Fashion World* // Tights- Evans

Lady Vintage Polka Dot Hepburn Dress Review

Hello, my name is Louise and I have a polka dot dress addiction. And water's wet. 

My wardrobe is packed full of dresses, and at least a dozen of them are polka dotted. You'd think that would be enough, but somehow I always manage to find room for one more when the perfect frock comes along.

That's exactly what happened when vintage reproduction brand Lady Vintage got in touch and invited me to review one of their beautiful dresses. I knew exactly which dress I wanted to review; a polka dot Hepburn swing dress! I'd been admiring the designs from afar for a long time, so I knew it had to be my first taste of Lady Vintage. I asked to review one in red or navy, and made some space in my wardrobe for one more dress.

I was sent the Hepburn polka dot dress in 'red wine'*, and ladies, let me tell you- this dress is absolute perfection! In the short time I've had this dress, it's already become a serious contender for my favourite dress of all time! At the very least, it's made the top three! Sure, I wear dresses every day, but it's not often I fall head over heels in love with one, like I have with this little number. It's beautiful! If it were a person, I'd happily walk down the aisle and marry it.

The style and fit of the dress makes me feel like a million dollars; something which doesn't happen all that often! I find the classic fifties-style swing shape really flattering on my figure; it disguises those areas I'm not particularly confident with showing, like my thighs, and hips, and nips me in at the right places. The style of the dress would suit most body shapes and sizes; it flaunts curves, flatters all sizes (yes, plus sizes, too!), and can create curves for ladies who have little, (but girls, remember, you're beautiful with or without curves!) .

Being unfamiliar with Lady Vintage's sizing, I used the size guide and size generator to determine which size I needed. I'm generally a size 20 for fitted clothes, but because of my broad waist, their generator told me I needed a size 26/28! I thought that couldn't possibly be right, so I compromised and went with the 22/24, and I'm glad I did. Apart from the usual issue of being a little loose on top, this dress fits me like a dream. It's fitted, but not skin tight (which is how I prefer it), and I have plenty of room left to breathe and move comfortably. Being comfortable is essential for me. 

Just as well that the fantastic quality fabric is super soft, then! It's made from a medium weight cotton, which has a good weight, and is neither too thin or two thick. Like baby bear's porridge, it's just right! 

I think this dress is ideal for wearing all year round. It's warm enough for Winter, and light enough for Summer; just add or subtract layers appropriately. The dark red is best suited to Autumn and Winter, though- and especially perfect for the Christmas season! I am aware that the colour clashes with my red hair, but I don't mind clashing when the dress is this beautiful.

I decided to shy away from a classic rockabilly look with this dress; mostly because it was far too cold for bare legs, and I'm crap at my hair! I gave my outfit a modern twist with some black pieces, studded slippers, and fun novelty accessories. Yes, it would look better without tights, but I didn't want to get frost-bite; it's bitterly cold here at the moment. The dress comes with a skinny black belt, which fits me with room to spare! I have it on loose in these photos intentionally to take the pressure off my bad back.

This is how the dress looks without a lovely tulle petticoat underneath. It still has a great shape, and I find dresses like this one much easier to wear for every day without one underneath. That being said, I'm dying to get myself a petticoat so I can play dress up! 

The Hepburn dress retails for £50, which is really reasonable for a high-quality vintage-reproduction dress. Quality vintage-style dresses under £50 are few and far between, and Lady V is definitely on the lower end of the scale.

You can find the dress here, but if red isn't you're thing, the dress also comes in black, navy, mocha, and purple. I have a few of them on my Christmas list! The Hepburn comes in lots of different patterns, too, and you can find them all here. The dresses come in sizes 8- 26/28 UK (some styles go up to a 30/32), which is absolutely fantastic. It's great to find another brand that isn't afraid to cater to plus sizes. I'd definitely recommend sizing up once, but check your measurements against the size guides to be sure.

I adore my Hepburn dress, and have so far been impressed with both the fit and quality of the dress. This may be my very first Lady Vintage dress, but it certainly won't be my last!

Dress and Belt*- c/o Lady Vintage // Shrug- New Look (similar) // Shoes*- c/o Fashion World // 

Bag- Accessorize // Bracelet- Cath Kidston // Brooch- Cath Kidston // Tights- Evans

Before I go, I just wanted to offer a quick apology to Lady V for the length of time it's taken me to get this post up. I'm mortified by how long it's been, and it's not okay! It wasn't my intention. I've had some physically demanding physiotherapy sessions over the last couple of months which have sent my pain levels through the roof, and repeatedly left me unable to get about unaided, As you can imagine, it's made it difficult to get outside to snap a few pictures and for that I'm so sorry! I hope you'll forgive me!

Are you a fan of Lady Vintage dresses?

Thanks for reading!

*Lady Vintage provided me with the dress in exchange for a review. As always all words, opinions, and photos are my own.

Red and Yellow Polka Dots

Ladies and gentlemen: do not adjust your screens; do not rush off to get your eyes tested; what you're seeing isn't a mirage or a trick of the eye. This really is an outfit post! I might just die of shock!

Today's outfit is a combination of three of my favourite things; polka dots, colour, and novelty handbags. A perfect combination if you ask me! 

This outfit came together organically; and it wasn't until I came to edit these photos that I realised I was channelling a bit of Minnie Mouse with my red polka dot dress and yellow shoes. She's a style icon, so I can live with that.

(I'm not feeling my looks at the moment, so I just wanted to hide away behind the clutch bag.)

I'm not sure if I've ever worn red and yellow together in my adult life, but I had a random urge to try yellow with this dress, and I really loved the result. Who knew red and yellow worked so well together? In my opinion, it's one of the best outfits I've worn in a really long time. I love everything about it; the colours, the patterns, the accessories, and of course, the dress!

This gorgeous red polka dot dress is a Lindy Bop "Audrey", which is one of those dresses I just had to have. Well, you know me with polka dots and full skirts! I was so smitten with the dress, that I visited the website every day until I was able to purchase one, just to check it was still available! Sad, I know. I snapped one up last month, but the cotton is so thick and heavy that I've been waiting for the weather to cool down just so I can wear it without passing out. The cotton is as thick as a medium-weight pair of jeans and it's also lined! While the quality of the fabric is fantastic, it's just not suited to weather above, say, 20'c; less if you get easily over-heated like me. It was about 25'c when I took these photos last weekend and I was roasting. It's definitely better suited to chilly Autumn and Winter weather, and I think it will be the perfect dress to keep warm in when it gets bitterly cold.

The deep, dark red of the dress is also more of a wintry colour; it's more crimson than it appears in these photos. I love wearing dark reds from Autumn to Spring, which is the reason I'm so in love with this dress. I think it would look great with mustard and forest green, but I don't own much of either at the moment. I thought I'd add bright yellow to have one last fling with summer brights before I retired them until next Spring.

The dress comes in sizes 8-26, and it's so affordable at just £29.99! I had to size up twice for a comfortable fit since I don't have a narrow waist, but other ladies say it's true to size, so check your measurements against their size guides! My dress is very loose on top because I've sized up, but I think I've disguised that reasonably well with the cardi. 

I accessorised the outfit with a sunny lemon wedge clutch bag by Monki, and a pair of yellow polka dot ballet pumps from New Look. As it's a midi dress that sits a couple of inches below the knee it would be more flattering with heels, but I have to keep my feet on the ground in flats because of my bad back. I hate the way my legs look, but c'est la vie.

I added my toadstool brooch from Cath Kidston, which I've had for about a year.

My red rose bracelet is also from Cath Kidston. It's one of my favourites.

Outfit Details

Dress- Lindy Bop // Cardigan- New Look // Shoes- New Look // Bag- Monki via ASOS // Brooch- Cath Kidston // Bracelet- Cath Kidston

I loved wearing this outfit and I'm pleased with how it all came together. The colours are so uplifting.

You'll be happy to know I'll be back with some more outfit posts really soon, and this dress will be making a reappearance!

Thanks for reading!

It Sounds So Sweet Coming From the Lips of an Angel

Hello there!

Last week I finally got around to taking some photos of myself wearing the lip print skater dress from F&F at Tesco. (I know; don't all faint at once!) The dress is the second of two I purchased from Tesco using the F&F voucher I won in Naomi's giveaway a month or two ago, and, I'm glad I chose it.

The lip print skater dress was an obvious choice for me because I love quirky prints, and I was lured in by the funky red lips on this navy frock. Prints are one of my main weaknesses and I doubt I'll ever grow tired of them. There's something really satisfying about discovering a new print and adding it to my wardrobe of weird and wonderful oddities. Is it sad that I get excited about stuff like that? Probably!

I've also been needing to add some more casual pieces in to my wardrobe, because my wardrobe is lacking in casual clothes. Most of my clothes are quite dressy because I just love to dress up every day instead of saving fabulous clothes for special occasions- life's too short!- but sometimes those clothes just aren't appropriate and I'm left feeling a tad over-dressed and out of place. So, I've been keeping an eye open for casual dresses that I can wear for mundane tasks like supermarket shopping and trips to the doctors, and this dress won me over.

It's a cute casual dress and for £16 I personally think it was a bargain. It's made from light-weight jersey which is perfect for wearing throughout the year. It has short sleeves so it can be worn on it's own with sandals in the summer, and layered up with knitwear and / or a leather biker jacket and ankle boots in the winter. The length of the sleeves make me feel quite broad, so I've broken up the pattern with a cropped cardigan which pacifies my insecurities. 

It has a lot of stretch so there's no need to size up. I originally purchased a size up because I thought the waist was fitted, but it wasn't and the dress swamped me. I reordered my usual size, and to be honest it's still quite loose on me, and I would probably have been better with the size down. As it's a little too big, the waist sits lower than my waist, and the extra material around my boobs settles in to a crease, but it's rare that I get a good fit around them because I'm not very busty. I don't mind the relaxed fit, though, and it's easy enough to cinch in at the waist when I want it to look more fitted.

I dressed mine very simply with a navy cropped cardigan, black opaque tights (navy would look better, but I don't own a pair), black studded slippers, a strawberry pendant necklace, and some black beaded bracelets.

The strawberry necklace is several years old. I think I purchased it from a vintage shop in Camden called Berty and Gerty, or from their stall in the Lock Market.

The black bracelets were part of a set I bought from Dorothy Perkins four or five years ago. The black and silver were both gifts from my best friend a couple of years ago.

And the studded slippers came from New Look's wide-fit selection not quite two years ago.

Outfit Details

♥ Dress- F&F at Tesco 

♥ Cardigan- New Look (similar) 

♥ Slippers- New Look (similar) 

♥ Tights- Evans 

♥ Necklace- Berty and Gerty 

♥ Black Bracelets- Dorothy Perkins 

♥ Black and Silver Bracelets- Gifts From the Bestie

The dress is now on sale for just £8, but is only available in sizes 6-16 online now (here). I think it went up to a size 22, so it would be worth checking your nearest Tesco to see if they have any of the other sizes left. It's well worth a purchase.

Have you bought anything from F&F lately?

P.S. Apologies for the ugly recycling bins in my photos. Our garden is a mess because we've been having asbestos removed and guttering replaced, and the rest of the garden (including my usual spot) gets too much sunshine for photos on very sunny days. You'd think a hundred foot long garden would have some shade, but it gets none!

Coral Flamingos

Sometimes I love to return to past outfits and wear them exactly the way I did before. Sometimes it's nice to be able to recreate outfits I love, instead of constantly looking for new ways to wear them. Why fix something that ain't broke?

Today's outfit is one I've recreated a few times since I first wore it and gave it its blog debut in 2012. Wait a minute- has it really been two years since this outfit post?! Woah! It was the first or one of the very first times I showed my face on the blog, and I was absolutely terrified! I've no idea where those two years have gone, but I still love the dress and outfit I am about to show you!

Two years ago, I bought this flamingo print dress in two colours from Dorothy Perkins because I fell head over heels in love with the print; I'm a sucker for flamingo prints, and I just couldn't resist them. The other dress is exactly the same style, except it's cream with a navy flamingo print.

To this day, I still think they were both great purchases, even though the cut is a bit weird. The waist is too high up and as a result, it's a little odd-fitting around the boobs. (Yet still baggy, as usual). I wasn't the only person who found the fit to be less than perfect and I can only conclude that a mistake was made in production. If the waist was an inch or two further down it would be better but it never bothered me enough to return the dresses. I love(d) them too much. 

That said, I definitely don't wear these dresses as often as I should and need to make an effort to wear them more often. I tend to save this one for beautiful hot summer days, because it's so summery!

This dress is pale blue with a pattern of bold coral flamingos all over it, and the swishiest circle skirt. I always have to play with it whenever I wear it! The five year old in me just longs to twirl! I like to dress it with coral and turquoise pieces, and always seem to gravitate to my coral Lovedrobe shrug, a turquoise patent belt from Dorothy Perkins, and a very old pair of coral peep toe sandals from Evans. I like the way they all look together. I'd usually wear it with my flamingo locket which has a pearl chain, but it's needs repairing, and I have an old turquoise bangle that goes perfectly with it. This time, I decided to mix it up just a little and added my seaside themed charm bracelet from Abilu Creations, a lilac macaron ring from And Mary, and my coral saddle bag from Accessorize. I'm sorry to tell you everything I'm wearing is old. 

I've probably had these sandals for at least eight years, if not a decade. They're still in pristine condition because I've not given them regular wear, but I still love 'em all these years later. 

Here's a closer look at the pattern, and my coral shrug. The flamingo print is one of the best flamingo prints I've ever seen; I think it's absolutely perfect. The shrug is a little baggy, but it's got the cutest scalloped edging and the colour is so summery.

I bought this charm bracelet in Camden Lock Market several years ago, from an independent brand called Abilu Creations. I have a few of their unique accessories, which are all made by hand using cute and quirky charms (many of which are vintage), and are finished with their signature guitar plectrum. This particular bracelet is sea side themed, and there are some great charms on it including a lighthouse, starfish, fish, and shells. I assume they still have a stall just outside the indoor Lock Market in Camden (which is just over the canal), but it's been a few years since my last visit there. They also have a website now, which is well worth a browse! 

My macaron ring is by a brand called And Mary, which I bought off ASOS last year. It's on an adjustable band, and isn't it just the cutest ring you've ever seen?!

My coral saddle bag is by Accessorize, and is another purchase from 2012. I love to wear it with my favourite summer outfits, because it's so bright and cheerful.

Outfit Details

Dress-Dorothy Perkins // Shrug- Lovedrobe (similar) (similar)  // Shoes-Evans // 

Bag-Accessorize (similar) (similar) // Ring-And Mary (similar) // 

Bracelet-Abilu Creations (similar) // Belt-Dorothy Perkins

I will never be one of those people who wears everything just once before moving on to the next one. I love to wear my favourite pieces over and over again until they fall apart, and always shop with the intention of getting lots of wear out of my purchases. I can't afford to buy a new outfit for every day of the year, and to be honest, even if I could, I doubt I'd want to. I enjoy revisiting old favourites from the collections I've built up over the years and some of them, like this ensemble, have the power to make me feel happy time and time again. And that to me is a sure sign of a great outfit!

Do you wear some of your outfits again and again, or do you prefer to move on and never look back?